It traces the origin of the Curse to a collision of three orphaned souls: Johnny O’Brien, a hard-luck right-hander on the 1919 Sox; his idol, Babe Ruth; and Daisy Wyatt, a dazzling African-American blues singer and the love of Johnny’s life. These three lives contain both the reason for the Curse and the secret to its end off the bat of Big Papi in 2004. Johnny Baseball packs a thoughtful commentary on American social history into a fun and spirited musical that will bring cheers and tears to baseball fans everywhere.

"Musicals and Red Sox fans don’t mix -- until Johnny Baseball is taken into account. TheDiane Paulus-directed production, currently in an extended run at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Mass., offers a taste of 2004’s Yawkey Way juxtaposed with the Boston of the early to mid-1900s..." -NESN More

"If you can’t get a ticket to see the Sox, the spirit and culture of Fenway Park can be experienced at a different venue. The A.R.T. has transformed the Loeb Drama Center into a mini ballpark for Johnny Baseball..." -Boston Metro More

"A.R.T. knocks it out of the park again!... An extraordinary ensemble.... Stunning vocals.... [Johnny Baseball has] the kind of heart that would, curse be damned, keep a city rooting for its hometown heroes." -Boston MetroMore

Johnny Baseball is "cleverly crafted and terrifically performed.... Helmer Diane Paulus hits a clean line drive straight into center field with a thoughtful, crowd-pleasing and deftly balanced show that even a Yankee could love." - VarietyMore

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Special panel discussion:Tues., June 22, 9:45 p.m.

“Race, Sports, and Civil Rights: How Far Have We Come?”

A panel discussion moderated by Professor Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law and author of The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Race, Class, and Crime in America

With panelists:

Howard Bryant, senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine, and author of Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston

Special post-performance panel discussions follow the performances on:Thursday, May 20: A discussion with Richard Dresser, Robert Reale, and Willie Reale

Wednesday, June 9: A discussion with Richard Dresser, Willie Reale, and historian Martha Ackmann (author of Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone, the First Woman to Play Professional Baseball in the Negro League). Moderated by Carol Beggy. Martha Ackmann will sign copies of Curveball before the show and after the discussion.

Performance sponsors:

The World Premiere of JOHNNY BASEBALL is being made possible by a grant from the Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards